Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-01-09
THE ACTORS srKUr.
Their Tendency TO Appear on Parade
When in Public.


NEW YORK, Jan. S.-A lot OF men were
talking the other day about the tendency
of actors, and particularly Of tragedlans,
to pose and appear constantly on parade
when in pubic. Every body is familiar
with the scowling brow, the stilted walk
and ponderous mien of little Lawrence
Barrett when he takes his daily stroll
about through the highways and byways
of the town, and the melancholy and
lingering stride OF Edwin Booth IS known
to hundreds of thousands of people in
America. Precisely why actors should
carry themselves in such an absurd ard
unnatural manner simply because they
have chosen tragedy as IA means OF earn
Ing their living IS not clear, but that they
are all on parade is unquostionably
true, | shall never forget the effect
produced upon Broadway by the slmul-
taneous appearance on the sidewalk one
day of both Barrett and Booth, arm In arm,
clad from neck to toe in heavy listers,
shod in big rubber Overshoes. topped with
heavy fur caps and with big handker-
chiefs wound around their necks. They
stalked down the middle of the sidewalk
with stiff legged and ierkv pomposity,
wrapped in impenetrable gloom, staring
straight ahead, and passing comedians,
MhIkluR anu SuDSlb as UlOll-
archs might take their way through
horde of crlnging vassals. A few of the
people who did not recognize the celebri-
ties OF once laughed outright at the spec
tacle OF the two understood and muf1ed
little men putting on such airs as did
Americas two most famous tragedians
that afternoon on Broadway.
"The instinct OF pose and parade,' said
one of the men TO whom this incident
was related, "afilicts the best OF
them. | am fond Of the theatre, you
know, and have very large acquaint-
ance with actors, not only in New York
aud London, but in Paris, Berlin and
Vienna, and l have found that it is the
tragedians who always pose. / know no
more genial man or frank and cordial
gentleman than Wilson BaErott, and yet
| saw him exhibit himself ouoo in a way
that made me wonder for ten days what
the influence is that causes a man to
make o peacock of himself simply be-
cause his efforts are directed towards the
heavier walks of the drama. When
came over from London last TALL Barrett
was on the same steamer. The usual
entertainment for the benefit of the
Seamen's Home was put in the
hands of young EDglishman on
6Oard, and when he was making up the
prOgramme-there vera many profess
siOnal people on board-he went to Bar
rett and asked him if be could depend
upon him for recitation or cit of talk
OF some sort. Barrett agreed to aid the
entertainment, and said that he would
recite little poem about q blacksmith.
| When the entertainment was about half
through, the manager suddenly remem-
bered that Barrett was missing, and
leaving the saloon he hurried around
looking for the missing tragedian. After
rushing about the deck, glaDcing into the
smoking reom aud the, Captains cabin,
the manager finally found his way to
Barretps stateroOm, and discovered tue
eye of the famous tragedian peePing from
the half ope2ed door,
''Is everythi18 1resdyr asked Barrett
in a stage wins RAT, 1cl
"Eh," said Ihe other, everything is
ready enough. AL you have to do is to
step up and speak your little piece, you
know" -------------...-..
Barrett threw OPEN the door, dashed
through the thrOng Of passengers IN the
saloon, sprang upon the stage and stood
revealed in the costume OF the brawny
theatrical blacksmith. His hair was
arranged in studied disorder, his legs clad
in cOrduroXs, his muscular arms barred
to the shOuHers, and his leather shirt
thrown open at the neck SO as
TO show a vast eXpanse OF athletic
chest. As il was q gray and drlZZling
day, and the ship was pitching about on
heavy swell, the effect was not inspir-
ing, Tor there were no footlights and cal
ciums to help the makeup OF the actor,
and the pitching Of the ship caused him
to stagger about like a drunken reveler
on the icy walk at midnight. The recita.
ton was, OF course, a failure, "a every
body laughed at the efforts OF the black
smith to Keep on bis sturdy pins, and
there was no end of guylng going on all
the time.
Still they will do it, you know.
BLAKELY HALL.